Ari, Wanda, Ruby and Stephen arrived at Wanda's cabin just as the sunset.

Stephen asked Ruby, trying not to show concern for his pupil after what had happened in the city, "remember what you need to do if anything happens..."

"I'll let you know if anything happens or if the hulk guy returns... but only if you promise not to hurt him until we know what is going on..."

In reply, Stephen sighed and nodded, "I'll make sure they don't do anything stupid. Now enough from me. Try to have fun and practice."

"No promises, but I'll try"

While Ruby embraced her teacher one last time, Wanda sat at the door of the cabin. Seeing Stephen near her, Wanda stated, "you guys are just as stubborn as each other, aren't you?"

"Ensure that she stays safe"

"Don't worry Stephen... she'll be fine with us" Wanda rolled her eyes faintly. "I've been asked so many times now! "

Having been reassured, Stephen finally accepted the fact that his student wouldn't be near him this summer. Eventually, he opened the portal to return to New York after saying goodbye to the girls once more.

As the portal closed, Ruby shook her head silently. "I wish he didn't worry about me so much... I know I'll be fine."

"Ruby, it's just his way; he doesn't want you hurt after what happened in town earlier today."

"I know... I know... but he isn't like that when he's in class... usually..."

"We'll talk more about this later, alright... Ari and I are preparing dinner, so you have time to wander around, just don't go too far."

In the waning light of day, Ruby nodded and smiled gently before rushing down the mountain.

It was half an hour before the sky began to be illuminated with various shades of orange, as it became engulfed in the deep midnight blue of the night sky. Suddenly, a loud growl could be heard approaching.

The young sorcerer knew she had to be at the cabin for dinner but she decided to check out what the noise was first.

After a few moments, she realized she was not alone as she looked around cautiously before saying, "Hello?". With a sigh she continued, "I can hear you!" Ruby attempted to practise her magic for a few moments while looking around cautiously as she realized she wasn't alone.

As Ruby continued to play with her magic, she attempted to recreate the shield that had failed in New York. "Hmm... this spell can wait, I wonder if I can-" A few seconds later, she created a portal; after checking no one was around, she leapt through.

"Whoa, what is this place?" she asked herself as she found herself looking around what she thought was the other side of the mountain. "Hello... Does anyone else live here?"

"Hello?" she asked as she walked around, her magic alert in case of attack. "Nice work, Ruby" she murmured, "you opened a portal that you don't even know where it leads..."

Walking around Ruby listened to noises that were strange but familiar, which made her magic glow brighter. As she looked around, her eyes narrowed. "Someone's here! But how do I get back?... I'm going to be in so much trouble if I find out how I got here."

The young sorcerer thought to herself, "I could try and get back through another portal.", but just as she said this she heard the same growling sound. "Who's there?" she shouted, and without thinking she went to investigate the noise, but after she found what it was she froze.

Despite being hidden in the shadows, Ruby was watched by a mysterious voice that said "Magic girl"

As Ruby looked at the shadow, she asked, "Who said that?"

"I know you're there... come on out... I won't hurt you..."

"Hydra..." the voice responded. Ruby, froze, confused about what to say: "who are you?"

"What about Hydra?"

The figure in the shadows charged toward Ruby, revealing himself to be the Hulk from New York "Ahh!" Ruby shielded herself as the green giant stopped in front of her before she could react anymore.

"I promise... I'm not from Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D, I promise... I won't hurt you..." she looked up slowly, barely managing to back away, "it's okay... it's okay I... you won't hurt me... it's okay I... I'm not from Hydra or S.H.I.E.L.D... I promise... I won't hurt you"

After a long moment, she repeated that over and over again until she was sure they had both calmed down. "That's it" she grinned shakily and whispered "see... it's okay." Ruby thought for a moment of what the Avengers would do before speaking "the sun is getting pretty low..."

At last, the Hulk reclaimed his human form after calming down completely, relaxing enough for him to return to his normal state

Ruby quickly turned away, trying not to stare as the figure changed his clothes. "Haha... you done?" she asked.

Ruby turned to look at the figure and smiled after she heard him say, "Done."

"Are you going to be okay now?" she asked.

"Are they going to shoot at me again?"

"I guess it depends on... you don't want to go back to big green guy mode?"

"How did you get to this place?"

"I was experimenting with magic and made a portal to somewhere... which led me here... why are you hiding from Hydra... what are they doing?"

"Why should I tell you anything... who are you... magic girl-"

"uh... it's Ruby and you-"

The figure was about to speak as another portal opened but this time it was Dr Strange with shield agents... who were not amused

"Ah... crap..." Ruby hesitated to back away from the portal as she looked up at the angry eyes of her teacher.

"I just-"

"Wanda told you not to wander too far from the cabin, so you ignored her advice!"

"But I didn't! I had tried to make a portal somewhere, and it brought me here, but maybe I had been out a little later than I expected... I'm in trouble... aren't I..." she asked nervously.

"Wanda was worrying out of her mind!... Back to the cabin... we'll talk a little more about this later!"

She managed a slight smile at the figure before returning to Dr Strange, who watched her return through. Then, as she left, she muttered, "don't hurt him!... Remember what you promised!-" Stephen sighed and waved reluctantly as he watched her depart.

As Ruby had left, Stephen turned to the figure and asked "what is your name?" even though he was in a tense mood and had a feeling that Ruby would want to know.

The figure spoke, "it's Ryker... let her know..." Stephen nodded, then looked at the shield agents he had brought with him, "I'll deal with this one... go back to New York..."

It didn't make sense to argue with someone who could send them to the multiverse or into another dimension. The shield agents looked at each other confused but decided not to waste time.

"Why are you out here in the mountains?" he wondered, still stern after he argued with Ruby.

"Hiding... that's all you're told."

"You and Ruby are just as stubborn as each other... I take it you are staying then." Stephen sighed in frustration as he turned to leave.

"The outside world is not safe even if I wanted to... Hydra wants me... why aren't you attacking me?"

Stephen replied, "I promised someone I wouldn't hurt you" about Ruby. "And speaking of teenagers ... I have one in serious trouble" he added, reopening the portal to Wanda's cabin.

Ryker remained silent as he watched the sorcerer walk through the portal and the wall onto the other side of the mountain and then watched the portal close, leaving him alone in his hideout.

Dr Strange and Wanda both told Ruby how worried they had been about Ruby while she was with Ryker on the other side of the mountain. Ruby listened as silently as she could, unable to look at their faces.

"As I warned you, don't wander far from the cabin! You never know what could be lurking on the other side of the mountain! If that Hulk could appear anywhere-"

"I saw him! He's not bad! He's just scared!" Ruby shouted, prepared to defend Ryker/Hulk "he's hiding there for a reason! He didn't hurt me either!... Wanda, he's just afraid"

The thought of what Ruby had just said caused Wanda to sigh quietly. "Afraid of what?" she asked, staring at the teenager.

"He has to escape because they want something from him," Ruby explained in her trembling voice.

"who!..." Wanda asked, her voice still as stern as Stephens was

"Hydra! He thought Hydra was after him when I appeared wherever that place is! But he's not bad!... And you cannot get shield involved in this! You've seen what happens when he gets angry!" Ruby's eyes narrowed as she said this "you know what shield would do! They'd make it worse! He was fine when he met me... I managed to calm him down"

"How?" Stephen asked his student, trying to control his temper which was still boiling from a few moments ago

"didn't you tell me how the Avengers Hulk was calmed down once?"

In memory of Bruce Banner's Hulk, both Wanda and Dr Strange became silent as Ruby said this.

"Nat..." Wanda glanced up at Stephen as he too hesitated to recall Black Widow. The thought of Natasha made him sigh quietly.

"Natasha... she was among the Avengers that lost the fight against Thanos" Wanda began "Ruby... how did you calm him down?" she inquired.

While Stephen's student was still unaware, Ruby and Stephen both said, "The sun is getting really low..."

"Natasha said that to him, didn't she?"

"This worked usually... depending on how angry the green guy was," Wanda replied with a small chuckle. "She and Bruce had a connection... like Vis and I did..." she continued, her voice containing tears of sadness.

"Listen... I don't want you going looking for him alone... if anything you never know if Hydra is out there just waiting for Ryker's hulk to go green on someone! And besides, you are in trouble"

"I'll be okay if I look for him on my own!" Ruby began to argue. "That's how I found him in the first place!"

"you think hydra will go easy on you if they find you? Guess again! You can't go against them alone Ruby!"

"I'll train harder than I ever have before! I don't know what they'll do to him if they find him! He's hiding for a reason! Like I said he's not bad! He's afraid! And I'm gonna help him with or without any help!"

Stephen groaned frustrated at his students' stubbornness before eventually seeing the determined look in her eyes

"you... aren't going to give up on him... are you?" he asked as Ruby shook her head "uh-uh... just like you haven't given up on me" Ruby smiled faintly, her arms folded.

"you're as stubborn as each other" Wanda spoke up referring to both teacher and pupil "As for going after Ryker-"

"it's still a no... and that's final" Stephen reluctantly spoke as he finished the argument between himself and Ruby

"Actually I was going to say she isn't doing this alone!"

"Wanda-"

The Scarlet Witch gave the master of the mystic arts a peeved off look to say she was sick of the arguing. "Stephen think about this... she clearly wants to do something to help this guy and you don't want her to do it alone... if you're so worried why don't you do this together?... Because you and I both know she'll do it either way"

"Wanda don't give her any ideas..."

"remember I know Hydra... they're the reason I have my powers in the first place-"

"and if they find out that Ryker and Ruby know each other... what do you think they'll do to either of them!? I can't take that risk!" Dr Strange glanced over at his student with a look that said 'you aren't going... at all'

Ruby sighed through a slight groan at the sorcerers' decision "alright fine... you guys win!" With that, she stormed off outside to try and cool her temper down.

"Great..." Stephen mumbled before going after her "Ruby!" he called as they both went outside, when he finally caught up with her he could instantly sense she was upset "listen... i... ugh I don't want to see you hurt and I know I can't stop you from doing this because if I did you'd still... do it"

"what's the worst they could do!" Ruby yelled back whilst forcing tears back then sighed pushing her hair back "I know that's a stupid question... before you say anything"

"what's the worst thing they could do? Ruby, you could get KILLED by them!"

"I said it was a stupid question!"

Silence fell between the two for more than a second

"if you want to go... go but don't say I didn't warn you!" Stephen turned away from the teenager, his anger boiling but also regretting what he had said immediately

"fine!..." after hesitation at that moment, Ruby opened a portal to head back to Ryker's hideout on the other side of the mountain not knowing what was awaiting her there.

AN: Yay! This chapter is done! I hope you like this fic so far! Enjoy! Quick heads up... the first chapters are so bad! omg I'm sorry! i plan on rewriting them at some point I promise!